Hook.



- Patented May 16,1916.

0 5., APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. 1915.

L .a'r

s rear Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed June 8, 1915. Serial No. 32,965.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN O. BA oH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Park, in the county of VVhatcom and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved hook of the type which are used in lumbering and are commonly known as choker hooks and the principal object of the invention is to provide the hookwith an improved .device for closing the bill of the hook and thus preventing danger of the hooks becoming disconnected from the chains, cable or other device with which it is connected.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device for releasably holding the closure in a set position, the latch being so mounted that the closure may hold it in an inoperative position when turned to an open position and permit the latch to re-.

turn to an operative position when the closure is turned to ayclosed position.

Another object of the invention 1s to provide a hook of the character described which will be very strong and durable, the closure being so constructed and mounted that it-cannot be easily broken or damaged.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a. view showing the improved hook in elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along' the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3-

is a fragmentary view showing the manner of limiting the sliding movement of the latch.

The hook 10 is provided with the usual eye 11 and with a bill 12 having a curved upper edge as clearly'shown in F1g. 1.

The closure 13 is substantially circular as shown in Fig. 1 and is provided with a flange or wall 1a which overlaps the curved upper edge of the bill 12 when the closure is in an operative position. It will thus be v seen that a chain, cable or other device engaged by the bill of the hook will be securel held in place and prevented from slipping out from beneath the closure.

It is necessary that the closure should be moved to an open position in order to con-.

nect the chain with the hook and therefore the closure is rotatably mounted u on the pivot pin 15 which is in the form 0 a rivet band has its head inclosed-by the wall or 'flange 14 thus countersinking the head of.

socket 17 and is yieldably held in the normal position by means of the spring 18. When in an operative position as shown in F 1g. 2 the latch'pin 16 extends into the cutout 19 and therefore the closure cannot be.

turned out of the locking position unless the latch pin is depressed by the finger and held in this position until the closure has been partially turned toward an open position. The latch pin would then be positioned beneath the closure and will be held in the depressed position until the closure is turned from the open position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 to the closed position.

- The latch pin will then be moved outwardly by the spring 18 into the cutout 19 and will releasably hold the closure in a set position. In order to prevent danger of the latch pin moving entirely out of the socket 17 the stop screw 20 has been provided. This stop screw 20 is mounted in 'the body portion of the hook as shown in Fig. 3 and has its inner end portion. extending into the groove 2lof the latch pin 16 and it will thus be seen that when the screw 20 is in place the latch pin can only move longitudinally a certain amount and therefore it cannot besome lost.

I have thus provided a hook of the character described which can be securely connected w1th a chain and cannot become disconnected from the same unless the closure is moved to an open position. It will be further seen that this closure is so constructed that it may be easily moved to an open or a closed position and is further provided with a very simple but eiiicient latch for releasably holding it in a closed position. It should be further noted that when the closure is swung upwardly to the open position,'the closure will extend across the outer end of the latch and therefore the latch by frictional engagement with the closure will releasably hold the closure in the raised position thus preventing the closure from accidentally dropping to the closed position.

This does not however, prevent the easyswinging of the closure to the closed position, in which position the latch will again pass into the cutout 1,9. and releasably hold the elosure in theclosed position,

lot

What is claimed is 1. A hook provided with a cutout forming a socket, a closure plate rotatably connected with the body portion of said hook and extending in operative relation to the bill of the hook when said closure late is in a closed position, said plate Being provided with a cutout registering with said socket when said closure is in a closed position, a latch pin slidably mounted in sald socket, means for limiting the sliding movement of said latch pin, and means for yieldably holding said latch pin in an extended position to extend into the cutout of said closure plate and releasably hold the same in a closed position, the closure plate when turned to an open position extending across said latch pin with the latch pin frictionally engaging the closure plate to releasably hold the same in an open position. v

2. A hook, a closure plate rotatably connected with said hook and extending in overlapping relation with the upper edge of the bill of the hook when in a closed position,

said closure plate being provided with acutout and said hook being provided with a socket, a latch slidahly mounted in said socket, means for limiting the sliding movement of said latch in said socket, and means for yieldably holding said latch in an extended position within the cutout 0 said closure to rleasably hold the cl osure in a locked position, the latch pin engaging the closure plate when the closure plate is moved to an open position to releasably hold the closure plate in an open position,

3. A hook, a closure movabl connected with said. hook, and a latch for said closure yieldably held in an operative position to releasably hold the closure in a closed position, the closure when in an open posltion extendin across the latch with the latch frictiona ly holding the closure in an open position.

4:. A hook provided with a bill and provided with a cutout forming a pocket, a closure movably connected with said hook and extending across said ocket when in an inoperative position, a latcli movably mounted in said pocket, and means for yieldably holding said latch in an operative position to engage said closure and releasably hold the same in a closed position, said-closure when moved to an inoperative position extending across'said latch and holding said latch in an inoperative position and the latch holding the closure in an inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN o. BALCH.

Witnesses:

J. W. RoMAINE, J TRUITT.

0591:: of th}: patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Intent,

Washington, D. 0." 

